Your
classmates in Oregon are in the final stages of preparation for our
mid-year reunion which will take place in McMinnville, Oregon, on
Friday, May 1st through Sunday, May 3rd, 2009. McMinnville is in
the heart of the Oregon wine country, about 25 miles from Portland, and
is the home of the Evergreen Aviation and Space Museum and IMAX, which includes Howard Hughes' "Spruce Goose," the largest aircraft ever built.

We
have an itinerary planned that will provide for lots of fellowship and
visiting time, along with the museum tours, but still allows for
individual activities that may be pursued, such as wine-tasting, visits
to the nearby casinos, golf, nature park visits, or a drive to the
beautiful Oregon coast, just a few miles away.

We have a block of rooms reserved at the new Comfort Inn and Suites
in McMinnville, which is within a mile of the museum, and close to
other activities. We have contracted an exceptional rate for a
motel with the amenities of this one, for $100 per night.
Reservations may be made by calling 503 472-1700, or
1-800-4CHOICE. Be sure to ask for "Naval Academy Class of 1962"
room and rate. There should be no problem in reserving for an
extra night or two if you wish to come early or stay around for
awhile. Registration, the Friday reception, museum tour tickets
and the Saturday banquet, altogether should not exceed $150 per person.

Our plans include:

Friday: Check in to the Comfort Inn (or on Thursday, the night before.) Mid-morning, a possible optional guided wine-tasting tour will be organized if enough people are interested. Cocktail reception at the IMAX Theater
mezzanine in the museum from 3:30 - 6:00 PM. A full no-host bar
will be provided, with beer, wine and soft drinks also available, and
hors d'oeuvres will be served. Dinner is on your own this evening.

Saturday: At 10:30, a docent-guided tour of the Aviation Museum will be conducted. After that, lunch on your own (a cafe is available at the museum) and a self-guided tour of the space portion of the museum. Or, you may view a showing at the IMAX Theater, the biggest in Oregon, and do the self-guided tour on Sunday. Saturday evening at 6:30 PM will be our banquet at the Golden Valley Brewery and Pub.
This will be buffet-style with selections of beef and chicken or
fish. Our guest speaker will be Jim Willis, the Director of the
Oregon Veterans' Affairs Department, and he will speak on the changes
occuring in the VA with the new Director Shinseki, and other related
items that should be of interest to our group. Our class
president, Ray Madonna, is traveling out to be with us for the weekend
also.

Sunday: Check out, or stick around and enjoy some of the myriad other things to see and do.

If
you have any questions, email me at jerryjan@comcast.net or call me at
503 691-1889. It's shaping up to be a great get-together!
Sign-up sheets and final information will be sent to those interested
in coming by March 1st, and we'll be requesting that they be returned
with a check by April 1st. Motel reservations may be made any
time.